How to Steam Milk for Frothy Coffee Drinks

If you're a fan of coffee shop specialty drinks, you may have tried to recreate that creamy, frothy flavor and texture in your home. You heat the milk in a pan and add it to coffee or espresso, but it just isn't the same as your favorite barista can make. The difference between a coffee shop espresso drink and one you can make at home is the steaming wand.

Baristas use a metal wand that shoots out steam into a pot of cold milk. This steam has two results. First, it heats up the milk until it's the required 150-160 degrees for a fine latte or other espresso drink. Second, it adds tiny bubbles to create a thick and creamy layer of foam to the top of the milk while thickening the rest of the milk into a smoother texture.

You can recreate this same frothy steam milk at home with an inexpensive home espresso and cappuccino machine. Most commercial machines have a small steaming wand attached. With the combination of ingredients and techniques used by coffee shop experts you can recreate your favorite drink at home.

Your cappuccino machine will come with a small metal pitcher specifically designed for this job. Fill it no more than half full of 2% milk. This milk is the best for making creamy froth instead of large and airy bubbles. Set a metal stick thermometer into the pitcher, insert the steaming wand into the milk so that it's about halfway to the bottom of the liquid and set the pitcher on the counter or machine.

Turn on the steam so that it shoots into the bottom of the milk.Watch the thermometer as the milk begins to heat up. As the temperature climbs, you will begin to hear a change in the pitch in the steaming sound. The pitch will get higher as the temperature does. Eventually you will be able to judge when your milk is ready just by the sound of the steaming wand, but for now watch the actual temperature of the milk.

When the milk reaches 160 degrees, pick up the pitcher and move it toward the edge of the counter so that the end of the steaming wand is right below the surface of the milk. Keep it below the top of the liquid without pulling it completely out. This will create the final thick layer of foam at the top of your creamy milk. When the temperature of the milk reaches 180 degrees, turn off the steam and remove the wand from the pitcher.

Wipe the wand off with a thick wet towel before it begins to cool down. This will prevent milk scum from baking onto the surface of the wand stem.

Use your steamed milk along with espresso shots to make cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and other expensive coffee shop specialties, perhaps in designer mugs for an at-home treat.

One of the secrets that baristas have on their large machines is a steaming wand that rotates and moves. No matter how tall your frothing pitcher is, if you have a wand that rotates around in a circle you can fit the pitcher in the right spot to have the steam do its work.

When looking at a machine to buy, don't just shop for an expresso machine. Save the added expense and purchase a combination espresso and coffee maker. One like the Mr. Coffee 3-in-1 makes coffee, pulls shots and has a rotating steam wand for making your frothy milk much easier.